DriveSmartBC is an educational resource for drivers who travel on the highways of British Columbia. Do you have a question about traffic law or defensive driving and don't know where to look for the answer? If you don't find your answer here, please use the contact link above and say so!

B.C.'s Collision Counter

Estimated collision types for British Columbia in 2010 to date:

Yielding on Left Turns

Left Turn CrashIt's always dangerous when you turn left in an intersection. You have to cross over opposing lanes of traffic which leaves you vulnerable in a crash. It also exposes you to drivers who would never think that they might have to yield and let you turn left.

Care & Control of a Motor Vehicle While Impaired

CounterAttack LogoIt's been a surprise to many people over the years, but you don't have to be actually driving a motor vehicle when your ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or a drug to be convicted of that offence.

READING - Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility in Europe

FHWA LogoRecognizing that many European programs for traffic safety could be successfully imported into the US, the Federal Highway Administration has sponsored a scanning study of five European countries to identify and assess effective approaches to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and mobility.

READING - IIHS Status Report, February 2010

IIHS LogoAirbags go hand in hand with seatbelts to protect a vehicle's occupants during a crash. They have become smarter as manufacturers and regulators have refined how they work and how they are required to work.

Q&A - Mirrors

Q&A ImageIs this vehicle legal to drive with no drivers side mirror? The passenger side mirror is there, but the window is missing and replaced with plastic.

Making a Left Turn at an Intersection

Left TurnThis column is dedicated to the middle aged male driver who turned left in the intersection and completed the turn half way into my lane as I approached him and half way into the lane that he was supposed to be using. Was he being inattentive, careless or did he not know any better?

Q&A - Ticketed for Crossing Double Solid Line to Avoid a Collision

Q&A ImageI have been ticketed for crossing a double yellow line just before the end of the right hand lane in a passing zone. The reason for this manoeuvre was I had been in the right lane and catching up to another vehicle, I switched to the left lane to overtake the slower moving vehicle, I estimate the speed variation to be around 30 KPH.

Using Your Rear View Mirrors

Rearview MirrorMirror, signal, shoulder check, change is the chant that we all know to follow for a successful lane change. We also use our rearview mirrors to give us a better view than our eyes alone when we are backing up. Is this all that mirrors are used for and are these the only times that we use them?

CASE LAW - R v Irwin

Court Coat of ArmsThe case of Regina v Derek William Irwin looks at the charge of Dangerous Driving under section 249 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Dangerous driving is "a marked departure from the standard expected of a reasonably prudent driver." Judge C. Baird Ellen analyzes the evidence of Mr.

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